Improvement in railroad-crossings



D PIERCE. RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Patented Sept. 26, 1876.

NPETERS, PHOTOJJTHOGRAF'HER. WASHINGTON. u (L rrnn 'ra'rns PAT FFEGE.

DARIUS PIERCE, OF TOWER HILL, ILLINOIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,599, dated September 26, 1876; applicationfiled June 26, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DARIUS PIERCE, of Tower Hill, in the county of Shelby and State of Illinois,have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Crossing, of which the following is a specification:

1n the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a top view, and Fig.2 a vertical transverse section on line 0 0, Fig. 1, of my improved railroad-crossing.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to an improved crossing for railroad-tracks, on which the main and guard rails may be changed to be worn out entirely on both sides, being rigidly secured in position on a suitable bed-plate, and forming a durable and economical crossing.

The invention consists of a crossing whose main and guard rails are secured at the ends by corner-posts, applied by screw-nuts to the bed-plate. The concaved base-rail of the crossing is retained by the rail -sections and the inner recessed corner-posts.

In the drawing, A represents the rails of two railroad-tracks that intersect at right angles or at any other angles with each other. The rails are supported on a bed-plate, B, that extends below the entire crossing. Guardrails G are arranged parallel to the main rails A within the points of intersection, and are retained rigidly in position, together with the sections of the main rails A, by four posts, D, at each point of intersection of the tracks. The posts D are of square or other shape, according to the angle at which the tracks cross, and are attached to the bed-plate by means of screw-nuts D, applied to the round and threaded lower parts of the posts. The rails are fitted neatly to the posts, which may be turned so that each side may be worn out.

The inside corner-posts are recessed or concaved, like the rails, and serve to bear on the concaved base-rails E of the crossing, holding them firmly to the bed-plate.

The wear is mainly on the inside of the outer rail-sections, which, when worn, may be turned. When both sides are worn, the guardrail is taken up and changed to the position of the main rail, the main rail forming the guard-rail, both rails being thereby worn out on both sides.

The rails ofthe crossing can thus be changed four times before entirely Worn out, and form thus a cheap and durable crossing, the posts admitting the ready changing of the rails by the section men. The base-rail is extended beyond the points intersection, and made of increasing width and concavity, the guardrail being also extended to a short distance, and curved to produce the easy guiding of the wheel-flanges on the base-rails, and the smooth running over the crossing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The combination, in a railroad-crossing, of the exchangeable main and guard rails, with fixed corner posts secured to the bedplate at each point of intersection of the tracks, for holding the rail-sections in position, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the main and guard rails with the rail-locking posts secured to the bed-plate, and with the concaved baserail. substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The concave base-rail, extended beyond the raillocking post, and made wider with suitable inclination, in combination with the main rail and the curved end of the guardrail, to guide wheels on the crossing, substantially as specified.

D. S. BOWMAN, GEO. W. RoRER. 

